Monday, 29 January 2018

AN inmate serving 18 years at Khami Maximum Prison for murder and rape has been sentenced to an additional seven years in jail for sodomising a fellow inmate.

Young Zvidzai (48) sodomised a fellow inmate who is serving 15 years for rape. Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza convicted Zvidzai of aggravated indecent assault.He will serve an effective four years in jail after three years were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within that period commit a similar offence.Zvidzai recently told the court that his 29 year-old victim was his “wife” and that he had been giving him relish, toiletries and cigarettes since 2010.According to court papers, Zvidzai said he even drew 10 tattoos on the complainant’s body and asked for anal sex as payment for the favours. In passing the sentence, Mr Mabeza said the offence committed by Zvidzai was serious and equated it to rape.“You stand convicted of a very serious offence, which is not different from rape. The complainant was traumatised and humiliated and there is no doubt that he suffered emotionally and was somehow psychologically affected,” said the magistrate.

In mitigation, Zvidzai who was left with nine months to finish his jail term, pleaded with the magistrate to be lenient.“Your Worship I have suffered enough in jail. Prison is like hell and I cannot continue languishing for several more years, please have mercy on me and may God help you understand this,” he pleaded.In December 2016, Zvidzai dragged his fellow inmate into his cell and sodomised him after fondling and kissing him.In his defence, Zvidzai initially said he was not gay and was not even interested in men.“I am a married man with three children and I would never lust for a man. I am serving my term while waiting to reunite with my family,” he said.He later said: “I did not force myself on him. He is my wife as we have been having consensual sex since 2010. I drew more than 10 tattoos on him and since he had no money he paid with sex.”Prosecuting, Tinashe Dzipe said on December 10 in 2016, Zvidzai went to the complainant’s cell and instructed the other inmates to leave.He then took the complainant to his cell where he had hung blankets on the wall like curtains. “Zvidzai fondled and kissed the complainant. He forcibly laid him on the floor, smeared petroleum jelly on his thighs and allegedly had anal sex with him,” said Mr Dzipe.The two inmates met in 2010 at Khami Maximum Prison. Chronicle